Blood Vengeance
by mrsnessieblack
Summary: Shunned away from her own family, Noel looks for a new life in Volterra, Italy, where she is sure to find vampires. She discovers her purpose in life- to be a vampire purifier and slayer. Maybe she'll find something in her future, after all...
1. Non Uno di Loro

**_AN: Well, I will have to warn you, this is not an Imprint novel, no matter how closely related to the characters of the series is. Noel Call, Marigold and Embry Call's daughter, has just turned fourteen and is discovering that she's not entirely human._**

Chapter 1

I won't tell you how annoying school is. Especially when we moved out of town in the middle of the year and had to get adjusted to our new lives.

"You're twins?"

"You sure don't look alike."

"Are you, like, that creepy type of twins that talks exactly at the same time?"

It's always the same questions, every time. Yes, we're twins. No, we aren't similar in any way. I've never been close enough with my brother to experiment.

You see, I'm not like my family in any way, shape, or form. My dad is a werewolf. Whoop-de-doo. My mom is the chieftess of her tribe. Hooray. My twin brother is writing a novel. I'm so lucky to have him.

Me? I do nothing spectacular. I mimic languages and traits. I think I know every language there is in the world except ancient Hebrew.

"Alle som disse forbanner folk," I muttered darkly. "Jeg kan ikke tro dette er all fordi jeg var nysgjerrig om hvordan å bli en vampyr."

My family, who had no clue what I was even saying, ignored me. I think they had a rough idea of what I was complaining about, though.

"Try speaking in a language I can actually translate," my brother spat at me.

"Übersetzen Sie dies, Genie. Ich hasse Sie," I hissed back, leaning into my car door. I reached down and pulled my notebook out of my backpack. I wrote the word "vampire" in all the languages I remember.

"Вампир"

"Upír"

"Vampyr"

My brother leaned over and read the last one, which I wrote in Danish. He gasped.

"Mom, she's contimplating becoming a vampire again," he tattled.

"Stop acting like you're five," I grumbled as my mom took the notebook and read through it.

"_This_," My mom said, pointing at the words, "will _not_ get you what you want. You'll never get it, as long as I live!"

"Vampier," I yelled out loud. My brother covered his mouth in shock. My dad almost swerved off the road in surprise. "Vampyyri, Vampire, Vampir, राक्षस, Válnak, Vampiro, Vampyr, خفاش شب!-"

"Noel Clara Call, you will stop this nonsense right now!" my dad ordered. I stopped and glared.

"You're such a freak," my brother mumbled.

"Caleb, leave Noel alone," my mom warned.

"You think it, too! She's too different! Maybe she's not a Call at all," he said.

"Fine. I'm not related, so I don't belong here," I said, opening the car door while we were going at fifty miles per hour. My dad slammed on the brakes.

"Thanks, _Embry_," I snarled, getting out and running away.

Okay, while I'm running, I might as well tell you my story. Like I said before, I'm nothing like my family. My dad fights vampires. My mom fights vampirin, the evil creature that comes from the souls of bad vampires. My brother is training to fight vampires when the werewolf gene kicks in.

Me? I want to see what it's like to be a vampire.

I went into Carlisle's study one day and asked him what life as a vampire is like. He told me it requires patience, which I don't have. I asked him what it would be like if he weren't vegetarian. He told me that he may never know. I gave up on him.

The only two people I've ever asked after that were Jasper and Emmett. Jasper, because he spent most of his life drinking human blood and living in the shadows. Emmett, because he always spills the juicy tidbits.

"You live as a constant threat," Jasper told me. "You feel like you can take down the world and keep it for yourself. You think you're unstoppable. Daytime will always remind you that you're different."

"Blood will taste like the sweetest candy to you," Emmett guffawed, lifting up a tree by its roots and throwing it, confusing a herd of wild deer. "At least, human blood does. Animal blood will taste like tofu to you. It satifies the health and body, but you're always craving a nice, juicy steak."

I asked Edward about it, and that was what got me in trouble. Edward, the tattletale, grew concerned and told my parents. They got mad and told me we were moving.

Here I am now, running for dear life knowing a big grey wolf will stop me in my tracks eventually and ground me when we get home.

I started to change my looks. Along with my impressive trait and language mimckry, I can also mimic looks and personnas, as well.

I shortened my hair into a pixie cut and made it blond. I made my eyes emerald green and my face round but still angular. I was different. I could be an average hiker. I lost my hoodie and ripped my jeans until they were knee-length shorts.

Okay, how stupid was it of me to run off without my backpack? It had snacks and water and my notebook in it. I groaned with disbelief.

Running wasn't hard for me. I can easly pick up vampire traits as well as a human's. I can run at their speed, which makes the run back to Oregon a whole lot easier.

I finally made it to a familiar house and knocked on the door.

"Noel?" Harry asked in disbelief when he opened the door. "I thought you guys were on the road."

"Marigold, Embry, and Caleb are, I'm not."

"You should be with your family..." he said, but I cut him off.

"They're no family of mine. I disowned them."

"Noel-"

"No. I'm leaving. I need help."

"Sure... guess..."

Harry led me in and the rest of the Cullen clan was an uproar. Tabby, who was playing chess with Jasper, looked up in wild shock. Jasper looked bewhildered with all the emotions circling the air.

"Noel!"

"Noel?"

"I thought you were across America right now!"

"How'd you get here-?"

"SHUT UP!" I yelled. "I disowned my family. But I ask of you for the last time for a favor. I need clothes, money, and tickets to anywhere in the world. And a passport."

"Here, Noel," Alice said, coming downstairs- when did she go up?- with a backpack.

"You're letting her do this on her own?" Esme asked, outraged.

"This was the last thing I saw before the vision turned blank. If Noel had stayed with her family, they would disappear along with her. Eventually, I'll see them dead, and Noel missing. I think it's best if Noel runs away."

"Thanks, Alice," I said, tking the backpack.

"Be careful, Noel. In that backpack are also some knives. They're made with venom, so it cuts through vampire skin. I want you to be able to protect yourself out there. They are made so no metal detector can sense them. They'll be invisible."

"You gave her the knives?" Carlisle asked.

"Would you rather see the family and possibly herself dead?"

"No, I wouldn't," Carlisle agreed, frowning.

"Good luck, Noel," Alice said, hugging me for what I thought was the last time.

The next thing I knew, I was on a plane to Italy.


	2. Il Sentiero di Cambiamento

Chapter 2

"Now boarding for Flight 204," a woman's voice announced over the speakers. I shrugged my backpack over my shoulder and handed one stewardess my ticket. She smiled warmly and let me through.

Right now, I'm not a regular fourteen year old girl. I donned the personna of an elderly lady, with white hair and blue eyes. I had wrinkles and wore a flowery blouse and pink skirt. The only thing that stood out was my backpack, but the stewardess didn't bother asking.

I took my seat and sighed. So far, my escape attempt was working. I thought back to what Alice had said. My family would be dead if I continued to live with them. I groaned.

A young man started to grab my backpack.

"Here, ma'am, I'll help you with that bag," he said.

"Get offa me, sonny!" I said in my grandma voice. I yanked my bag back.

"I'm only putting it up," he said.

"I want to carry my bag, you leave well enough alone!" I scolded him.

"Sir, leave that poor old lady alone!" the girl sitting next to me demanded. Maybe it was just me, but I could swear the man's eyes flashed red.

"Is there a problem here?" a steward asked, putting a hand on the man's shoulders.

"Thank you, dear," I said, sitting down.

"I'm sorry about that," the girl said next to me.

"It's all right," I whispered. The signal by the restrooms flashed. Everyone put on their seatbelts. A few minutes later, the plane began to shake.

"So, why are you going to Italy?" the girl asked.

"I want to start a new life," I explained. "Besides, I have a friend that once lived in Italy."

"It sounds nice. I'm only in America for business. I work for a company in Italy. I was supposed to find someone here, but I couldn't find them."

"Oh, dear, I hope you won't get fired," I gasped. She began to laugh.

"Nobody can get fired from my company. You can leave if you quit, but nobody gets fired," she explained.

I learned that the girl's name was Rosaline, and that she lives in Volterra. I told her that was where I was headed, and she gave a surprised laugh. She told me she'd be more than happy to lead me into the city.

The hours passed, and soon we were over Italy. I looked out the window and sighed. My new home was no more than cobblestones and farmland.

"Volterra is a few miles away from an airport," the Rosaline said. "I have a car waiting for me. Come on!"

Rosaline seemed to become urgent. She lost her fun-loving attitude and suddenly became all business.

"Don't you have a bag to claim?" I asked when we got into the parking lot.

"No," she said quickly, heading straight for a blue sports car.

Rosaline was beginning to scare me. She drove like Edward does on a normal day. She kept on looking in the rear-view mirror and swearing under her breath. I looked behind us. All there was was a motorcycle behind us.

"Here it is," Rosaline sighed with relief. "Volterra."

"Thank you, deary, now you may let me out," I said in my grandma voice. I really wanted to change forms and lose this crazy chick!

"Noel, wait, stop!" she yelled. I got out of the car and walked away, heading into some random eatery.

"Il buono pomeriggio, la signora. Lei amerebbe una tavola o una cabina?" a man asked.

"Devo usare appena la toilette, Sonny," I told him. He led me to the restrooms and left. I heard Rosaline's frantic voice from outside.

"Carlos! Ha una signora anziana con i capelli bianchi e gli occhi blu è entrata attraverso qui?" I heard her deamnd. I hurriedly ran into a restroom in a non-elderly speed and closed to door to a stall. I changed my clothes and form so I was a blond teenager with green eyes and a Celtic tattoo on my forearm. I wore a green top, a pair of jeans, and some combat boots. I turned my backpack inside out -it was reversable- and stuffed my things back in. I was extra careful with the knives.

"Noel?" Rosaline rushed in, just as I was leaving my stall. She barely noticed me. I made my escape.

...

I was running. Mostly from any blue car I saw, and especially from Rosaline. I barely noticed somebody following in quick pursuit, almost invisible to other people. I hid in an alley when it turned dark.

I heard a rock clatter on the cobblestones and gasped, getting up and turning toward the noise.

"Chi c'è? Mostrarsi!" I demanded. I reached into my bag for the blades. "Sono armato e pericoloso! Mostrarsi!"

I saw the eyes first. They were bright red. I fought a shudder. Vampire.

He came into the light. Or, at least, what was left of the light.

"Who is this?" he asked in accented English. "An American girl weilding some impressive knives? They cannot cut my skin."

"That's where you're wrong," I shot off. "Leave me alone and you won't get hurt!"

I lifted the knives out of my bag and held them out. The posture I was making was strange to me. It was like reading some comic book or watching a ninja movie. The hero would take a defensive stance and defend himself with a sword or knife in their hands.

The vampire's expression became amused. He took a few steps toward me. I trembled with fear, but kept my ground.

"I'm very thirsty, girl. Why don't you quit the games and die a quick death?"

"Because the one who'll die is you," I growled. The vampire laughed and lunged for me.

With one skillful swipe of my left hand, the vampire's head was cut clean off. The body began to sway. Then it lunged for me again brainlessly. I swiped at it again, cutting it in half from throat to toe.

I didn't bother to burn the pieces. I was too frightened to think straight. I ran.

And I wished my parents were there.

I, Noel Clara, just half-way killed a vampire.

And I didn't like it one bit.

**_AN: Cool, Noel almost killed a vampire! And don't worry, you'll see Rosaline again. She's not a crazed nut, I swear!_**


	3. Il Descision di Destino

Chapter 2.5

**The last ray of sun lit up the city of Volterra brilliantly before dying beyond the horizon. The sky was a blanket of dark blues and purples.**

**Three cloaked figures reached a lone alley.**

**"Gabriel," the tallest cloaked figure whispered. His hands went up and pulled back his dark hood. Long dark hair covered half the beautiful face that was concealed there. His dark eyes showed signs of old age, and yet this man looked like he was only in his late twenties, early thirties. The second tallest inclined his head to show he was listening.**

**"Father," a young voice acknowledged from the figure. He too removed his hood. Brilliant white hair was the first thing anyone would see when the hood was removed. His eyes were icy blue, but they showed animation. The teenager wore a white cloak, symbolizing his position between the three.**

**"Gabriel, what can you tell from these abandoned remains?" The first man asked. Gabriel knelt down next to the severed vampire head.**

**"This is the work of an experienced Vengeful, but none of ours have gone out during the day," he said, lifting the lifeless head by the roots of its hair. Gabriel turned his head slightly, looking at the feet of the third figure.**

**"This is the work of the Assigned," he accused the figure.**

**"Gabriel, you should not accuse me like so," a young female voice drifted from beneath the hood. When it was pulled back, Gabriel glared coldly into the blond woman's sharp blue eyes.**

**"You were supposed to bring the assigned to me for Initiation, Rosaline," he growled. "You told me you couldn't find her."**

**"You asked if I had her, and I answered truthfully, Gabriel," she hissed. Her eyes flashed crimson.**

**"Clearly when I asked, I meant the destination we discovered the Assigned," Gabriel spat.**

**"Children," the leader murmured, placing himself between them. "Gabriel, if Rosaline lost her Assigned, there is only the matter of finding them and making sure she returns. As for you, Rosalie, I severely hope you did not think this would go without punishment."**

**Rosaline bowed her head and held out her arms.**

**"Master Ora, proceed," she whispered obediently.**

**Ora took her outstretched hands and aligned her palms with his. Rosaline gasped as if she were being shocked. Her eyes opened wide and glowed a grosteque red. Ora took his hands away and turned to Gabriel.**

**"Find her, my son," he commanded. Gabriel stood and bowed his head, running down the alley and disappearing into the darkness.**

**"Master Ora, I wish to accompany Gabriel," Rosaline requested.**

**"You are hardly in shape enough to follow, your hands are burned and you are marked, you cannot fight for another week!" Ora exclaimed. Rosaline gripped her sword handles and winced, drawing them out. Her eyes were still crimson.**

**"But I have information about the Assigned," she whispered. "And I'll do what I can to ensure my assignment is fulfilled."**

**Ora smiled proudly for a brief moment.**

**"Go, then," he said. But Rosaline was already gone.**


	4. Duro per Accettare

Chapter 3

"Ringraziarla di nuovo, il tipo approfondisce, per lasciare che me sto qui nella sua casa," I said. The old woman nodded and smiled. The old man, however, looked highly suspicious.

"We speak English, dear girl," he said.

"I've been practicing my Italian. I have to use it while I can or I'll forget it's meaning," I lied.

"Well you are doing quite well, child," the old lady said, reaching over and rubbing my hand.

"What did you say your name was, again?" the old man asked.

"Mary Alice Brandon," I lied again. I almost smiled. The name was dead, but the person is still alive and jumping.

"Brandon..." the old woman laughed. "I knew a girl with that name. She always insisted on being called Alice. The poor thing."

I almost spat out my soup. The woman knew Alice!

"What happened?" I asked.

"It's a long story," the old woman sighed.

"I want to know, if it's not any trouble."

The old woman smiled.

"It's not any trouble at all, child. Let's see... We were young girls. We were best friends, too. I had recently moved in Biloxi because my mother became a widow, and wanted to move back to her birthplace. There was a girl living next door who called herself Alice. She was a strange girl.

'My name is Alice,' she proudly introduced herself. 'We're gonna be best friends forever, and you'll fall in love with the boy across the street!'

I hardly believed her words. But, as time passed, I gradually became friends with Alice. Oh, we did everything together. We played with Alice's ball, we danced in circles around the lawn, we waved at every passing car we saw. Alice knew what I liked to do, and never asked me to do something she wanted to do. But when she wanted something, she would bring out such an irresistable pout, and whatever she wanted would be hers.

One day, when Alice and I were about ten or eleven, I was walking over to her house when I heard a scream from inside. I was frozen; I didn't know what to do. I stood there, petrified, as men in doctors' clothing dragged a wailing Alice away. They put her in a car and drove away. I could not believe my eyes, it was such a horrible sight. The last thing I saw of her was her face stained with tears and strands of her luscious black hair sticking to her face.

I recieved a letter saying that she was dead and that her funeral was that week. I cried for weeks on afterward. Anthony here saw me crying and comforted me. We fell in love and married as soon as I was legal. And do you know what I realized?"

"What?" I asked.

"Alice's first fortune came true. My tears made me realize she was the best friend I ever had. And Anthony was the boy across the street, like Alice said. And sometimes, I recieve letters, saying that I'll always be cared for. I don't know who sends them, but it reminds me of Alice."

I smiled. Alice still considered her a friend, after all those years.

"Well," Anthony rose, picking up his bowl. "I must tuck in for the night. Goodnight, Arielle."

"Goodnight, dear."

"I must sleep, too," I said, standing up.

"Allow me to show you to your room," Arielle said, taking my hand and leading me down the hall. She took a key out of her pocket and unlocked a door. She gestured for me to open it.

When the door was open, I gasped. The room was all blue, with a canopy bed in the center. I touched the bedspread.

"My daughter's room," Arielle whispered, looking around. "She died of cancer when she was barely seventeen. I come in here every so often to remind myself that she truly exhisted, and it wasn't some silly old dream of mine. You remind me of her. That's why Anthony was acting strange."

"Thank you," I whispered, bowing my head down. I walked out and brought back my backpack.

"Do you need proper nightclothes?" Arielle asked when I took out a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"No, I don't want to impose," I said quickly, but Arielle was already opening a dresser drawer. She took out a red nightgown and held it out.

"Here, try it on," she insisted, laying it on the bed. I took off my clothes and put it on.

"It fits," I said, twirling around in it. The design was a little out of fashion, but it still looked beautiful. Arielle smiled.

"Now I can truly say goodnight, Mary," she said, heading for the door.

"Thank you," I thanked her again.

"It was no problem," she said, turning off the light and closing the door.

"Il mondo è ruvido, ma persevero," I whispered into the darkness. I closed my eyes.

**A man stood beneath a window, staring intently at the frame. He was not merely looking at it. He was planning his jump.**

**"Forbidden," a voice growled from the shadows. The man whirled around and saw Gabriel, his gun drawn. "I suggest you leave now and resist taking the blood of an Innocent for your master tonight."**

**The man glared and ran. Gabriel stood where he stood, and looked up at the window. He looked back at where the Forbidden had fled, and walked away.**

**If Gabriel had stood there and looked closer, he would've seen a silvery aura from behind the glass, where Noel slept.**


	5. Appartengo Finalmente

Chapter 4

My recollection of my first night here in Volterra was hazy. I only remember the key points. One, I was practically stalked by an insane blonde. Two, I was attacked by a rogue vampire. And three, I killed him in a matter of seconds.

There was something very wrong with me. Arielle and Anthony were beginning to ignore me. Arielle doesn't call me "dear" anymore. Anthony gave me the cold shoulder.

Days passed, and the air around us grew worse. Anthony yelled at me twice a day for being a lazy girl who needs to work to earn a living. Arielle sent me glares from behind her knitwork. But I'd occasionally see the kindness and confusion spill out of them. Like today, for instance.

"Mary, clean up the room," Arielle snapped this morning.

"I cleaned it yesterday," I informed her.

"And it's still dusty, hop to it."

"Arielle, I vacuumed and dusted last night."

"I still saw dust floating around, now clean up!"

"Arielle, what's wrong with you, you're acting like I'm Public Enemy number one!"

Arielle's eyes flickered. I thought she'd revert to her old self and apologize with a, "sorry, pumpkin, I don't feel right these days," but the confusion flickered and turned to bitterness again.

Eventually, I was sent to my room. I sat on the bed and sighed.

Why is it that everyone I get close to suddenly takes a strange dislike to me? Is it a curse? Am I doomed to live alone?

I got up and reached under the mattress, where I hid the knives. I tok them out and examined one.

The hilt was gold, with a touch of some metallic color I had no name for. It was finely decorated in black markings, which I decided was some kind of rune. The blade was a silvery clear compound. It looked like metallic ice. I once saw vampire venom, which looked like the blade does in liquid form, and decided the blade was pure venom with a bit of metal to keep it solid.

It was definitely something you would find decorating the wall in Carlisle's study. I turned the blade in my hand, staring at my crystal-clear reflection.

My hair was a dirty brown. I had lightly tanned skin and cute little freckles. My eyes were the color of storm clouds. If I slightly altered the color of my hair and erased the freckles, I'd look like Kris.

I leanded against my bed- I was sitting on the floor- and closed my eyes.

Alice would be taking Bella and Rose on a shopping spree by now. Edward and Carlisle were probably in the hospital treating a girl's broken arm. I wondered if the girl was a teenager, and if she suddenly started fantasizing about Edward. I felt sorry for him.

Emmett would be getting his but whooped by Harry in Call of Duty- again. Tabby and Jasper were probably staring each other down in a game of chess.

Esme would be making sandwiches for the humans, having to use vampire speed because Jacob kept hogging them. Renesmee would be outside working on the garden, putting a daisy in her hair.

Seth and Erin would be racing each other in their wolf forms, weaving through the trees. Harry would be going swimming in the lake, with Kris timing his speed.

Mai and Collin will be working, Mai in the house working on a novel, Collin at Dowling's, repairing an old VW Bug.

Marigold would be playing a tune on her piano, with Embry slowly falling asleep on the couch to the tune. I winced. My parents really _would_ be doing that. They did it all the time.

I wondered to myself if Caleb found a girl he liked or not. He probably did, the romantic fool. He was probably courting her with some poetry.

A loud smash from outside my room shocked me into the real world.

"_Where is she_?" a strange voice hissed. "_Where is my Youngling_?"

I heard Arielle and Anthony scream. I ran for the door and desperately twisted the knob. The doorknob gave way, and clunked on the ground. I gasped and grabbed my knives. I'm not going down without a fight.

The window behind me shattered. I screamed and ducked away just as a shadow-like figure slammed into the area I was just standing. I threw one of my knives with percision. The knife hit the thing square in the chest. It shrieked and I heard a crackling sound, like firewood in a fireplace. I ran to the window and jumped out.

If Arielle and Anthony survived the attack, I couldn't risk endangering them any further.

Well, I never jumped out of a building from the third story before. Immediately, I thought, "Oh, crap!"

As if I were a cat, I twisted my body and landed on the balls of my feet.

There was an eerie fog surrounding the street. Tourists and neighbors walked around as if the glass of a window wasn't shattered, and a girl didn't just survive a fall all the way down. If I relaxed slightly, I would find the fog invisible, and the sun would be out, shining brightly overhead.

I ran to an alley and clutched my second knife to my heart, panting.

What the hell was that thing? It was like a shadow, but it was obviously solid. I saw the knife centered in the thing's chest.

"_Youngling_," the voice hissed from the entrance to the alley. I raised my knife quickly.

Its hand shot out and gripped my wrist, twisting my hand painfully so I'd drop my knife. I screamed out in pain.

"Collector," a male voice said. I turned my head.

There was a boy in the alley. He stood, balanced, on the wall. He had a gun out, pointed at the creature.

"Help me," I whispered.

Somebody jumped out from behind the wall and ran, grabbing my arm and yanking me from the creature's grasp. The creature lunged for us again. I screamed.

There was a gunshot, and the creature writhed on the ground in agony. Smoke came out of the creature, like it was burning.

"Noel, are you okay?" a familiar voice asked. The boy jumped off the wall and walked calmly toward us.

"Rosaline?" I gasped when the girl lifted her hood.

Her eyes were a strange shade of violet. Her blond hair was unkempt.

The boy brushed against my shoulder and knelt next to the remains. He placed a hand over the heart of the body.

There was some kind of glow radiating from him, leaking out of his hand and melting away the shadow in front of him. Soon, it was the body of a man we saw.

I gasped. It was the man from the plane. The one Rosaline saved me from. His eyes were a pure red, staring into nothingness.

The boy turned to face me. His face was expressionless.

"Thank you, I-"

"Do you know how much time this wasted, looking for you?" he asked coldly.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"The Apocalypse could already be working on his army by now! You made this a whole lot worse, Youngling!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know-"

"Gabriel, she doesn't know-"

"I suppose you want to defend your Assigned, to make up for losing her, Rosaline?" Gabriel snapped.

"That's it," I yelled. "Youngling, Assigned, Apocalypse, what the hell does all of this mean? You have no right to yell at me when I have no frikkin' clue what the hell I did!"

I felt like kicking him in the groin. But I couldn't bring myself to ruin this devilish pefection in front of me. Gabriel smirked, lifting a hand to brush his silver hair away from his face.

That smirk made me swoon and seethe at the same time. I guess my anger won, because my hand curled into a fist and hurled itself at his cheek. It made a glorifying smack against his face.

Rosaline broke into a worshipping grin. Gabriel touched his cheek in shock and looked at me with anger. He raised his hand and shot it at me, but I ducked and grabbed his wrist, pulling it so he was on his back on the ground.

"I'm not the kind of girl you can mess with," I told him, looking down. Gabriel got up, a little dazed. He glared at me and jumped up the wall, disappearing.

"Come on, Noel. It's time you joined us," Rosaline said, taking my hand and running headlong for the wall. She jumped in time, pulling me with her into the air. It was like a weighed no more than a feather to her.

"Rosaline, I weighed more than ninety pounds! How was it you were able to carry me like that?" I asked.

"I have the gift of flight. We all have different gifts. Unfortunately, I'm still Marked, which is my punishment for losing you, and I can't actually fly just yet. The effects will wear off in a couple of days."

"What do you mean, 'gifts'?"

"Well, some of us have the power to control plants. Others have the power over living things. There are Light Beholders and Dark Beholders, Air Beholders, like me, Water Beholders, and Earth Beholders. And then there are the rarest Beholders of all. The Purity Beholders. They control everything and have another power. They can take powers away, or purify the remains of evil so they have an easy passage to the Realm of the Spirit. There are only two in our League. Ora, our leader, and Gabriel, his son."

"Is that why Gabriel is so snippy? He thinks he's all high and mighty?"

"No, it's the complete opposite. He's usually quiet, and a bit moody. He has to prove he's a good leader, because it's expected of him to take over the team when it's Ora's time to pass into the Realm. And that time will be soon. Gabriel doesn't feel ready, so he tries to act tough so nobody will disrespect him. But we would never turn our backs on him. He's like a brother to us... in some ways."

"You sound as if you knew him your whole life."

"In a way, I have. My earliest memory is of meeting Gabriel. I had been a witness to my family's destruction by the Apocalypse. They believed my older brother was a Youngling, and was sent to collect him. But my brother didn't have this," Rosaline lifted the sleeve of her cloak and showed me the inside of her wrist. There, where the vein was, was a crystal-like mark. It looked like it was under her skin. "And they destroyed him for it. I was hidden well in a closet with my mother's cloak covering me. The scent of vampire on the old thing was still strong, so they couldn't smell me in there. When they left, Ora came for me, as well as a six-year-old Gabriel. They took me in, and I've lived with the League ever since."

"What do you mean, 'still strong'?" I asked.

"Well, my mother worked for an old family called the Volturi in her youth. They were a group of royal vampires. She was... well, _intimate_ with one of the guards. She had my brother with a mortal human who also served the Volturi, but when he defied Master Aro, he had him destroyed. My mother was so heartbroken, but soon she slept with one of the guard. Nine months later, I happened and my brother took care of me while the friendly vampire changed my mother. The Volturi were destroyed a few months later, and my mother married a mortal. A few years later, they met their demise and here I am today."

Rosaline sounded so happy when she told her story, with no sign of remorse for her family's death. I looked away, at the ground, while she hummed an unfamiliar tune to herself.

"We're here," she announced, reaching an old, creaky gate. I reached for the handles. Rosaline stopped me.

"The gate stands as an alert for us when a trespasser comes by. The real entrance is here," she pointed at a bunch of fallen and dead leaves. I stared at them, waiting for them to suddenly blow away to reveal a wooden door. I barely noticed Rosaline take out her sword when it suddenly slashed through my line of vision and struck a single green leaf among the red and brown. The leaf turned white and the leaves began to sink into the ground. Seconds later a leafy tunnel stood before me. I looked at Rosaline in shock.

"Earth and Plant Magick," she shrugged. "It's permanent. Otherwise the tunnel would collapse on us because the creators died in battle."

We walked down the tunnel. There were strange orbs of light dancing above our heads.

"Light Magick?" I asked.

"Correct. You're learning!"

There was a patch of silvery-white ahead of us. When we got closer, I realized it was Gabriel and a Light Magick orb of his own hovering next to him. He was standing next to a set of doors. His ice-blue eyes seemed to glow in the dark.

"Before you go inside, shift into your true form, Noel," he commanded me. I nodded and thought of normality. My skin turned into its original reddish-brown color. My hair became black and slightly wavy. My eyes became dark brown. I was once again a Quileute-Mahkcep.

Rosaline whistled at me.

"Dang, girl, you look so different with Native American skin," she said. Even Gabriel appraised me with his eyes. He stopped when I stared back at him.

"It's time for the Initiation Ceremony, where we decide what kind of Beholder you are," Gabriel announced, opening the doors.

The first thing I saw was a man in a black cloak kneeling on the ground, his palm flat against the concrete. An electric current seemed to flow out of him and through the ground. Gabriel stepped into the room, followed by Rosaline.

"Noel, welcome," the man said. "Please, come in, and begin the ceremony."

I took a deep breath and stepped in.

**_AN: Hey, it's me, mrsnessieblack! I'd like to thank my best readers (and friends) Noel Ardnek and Vivi Fontaine for ACTUALLY REVIEWING. I'd also like to thank Vivi's cousin, Lili, for reviewing as well. Nice to have you here, my friend!_**


	6. Nella Palma delle Mie Mani

Chapter 5

"Well?" I asked. The electric current around my feet tingled, but that was pretty much it. "What do I do?"

"Choose," Ora whispered. As he said this, several people came forward from all angles, holding an orb of their element. A girl wearing dark green robes held an orb of what looked like leaves and roots. A boy in dark browns and tans held a twisting orb of rocks and lava. A man in yellow garb carried a white ball of light. The woman next to him carried a black hole. Rosaline was smiling and holding a tornado in her hands. There was a boy around my age carrying an orb of water. I even saw a fish inside. There was a five year old girl to my right holding a small deer in her palms.

Ora and Gabriel stood behind Rosaline, watching me closely. I stood in the center of the circle, looking at each and every element.

"I just pick which one I want?" I asked, staring at the water orb with interest. I always wondered what it would be like to hold water in my hands without it leaking away.

"It's not that simple," Ora laughed. "Look inside yourself and take the element that pulls you."

I closed my eyes and breathed in through my nostrils. I exhaled slowly from my mouth.

I was using a meditating technique I learned from the wolf pack. They used it to control their tempers while they were young.

There were seven ropes pulling me in different directions. There were seven elements. I couldn't choose all of them, could I?

I felt an eighth rope from right above me, pulling me with more force than the other elements.

"Impossible," I heard Gabriel murmur, awestruck. I opened my eyes and looked up.

It looked like the Earth and the sun and moon, twisting around above me. I saw every little wave crash on the tiny little shores. I saw birds fly in the miniature forests. The sun gave off a briliant light, while the moon lit up the darkness. The wind blew in my direction, and I smelled the earth and trees. I hesitantly reached up.

The Earth reacted at my touch. Then it was sucked right through my fingertips. I gasped.

A strange power surged through my arm and spread all over my body. The light, the earth. The trees, the dark. The water, the wind. The animals. The _purity_.

There was something else. Life. Death. Everyone's lifeline was in my hands.

The vampire knife I had in my hand shifted. I looked down in shock. The hilt separated from the blade. The hilt thinned, and stretched into a curving bow. A strand of gold connected the ends. The blade itself stretched, too, and separated into five arrows.

I held up my new weapon in surprise.

"A Pure Beholder," Ora gasped. Gabriel was staring at me like he'd never seen me before in my life.

"Oh my God, Noel!" Rosaline squealed. "You're a Pure Beholder like Ora and Gabriel!"

That struck me as funny. I was nothing like Gabriel. Now we have something in common-?

The entire circle broke apart and rushed to me, all smiling and shaking my hand.

"Yes, I sense the Light in you," the Light Beholder said, shaking my hand eagerly.

"It's wonderful to have you on the team, Noel," the Earth Beholder smiled, lifting my hand to his lips. I giggled. He waggled his eyebrows.

"The Darkness around you is so powerful," the Darkness Beholder told me. "I can see why the Apocalypse wants you."

"Noel, you'e like Gabriel now," the Life Beholder congratulated me. "It's a great honor to be the third in command!"

"Wait, she surpassed me?" Rosaline gasped. "I thought she had to pass the Test, first!"

"Her gift surpasses everyone," Ora explained, making his way through the crowd. Gabriel was next to him.

I bowed automatically to my new Master. Ora lifted my chin.

"You do not need to bow to me, Sister," he said. "We are equal."

I nodded, smiling. Then I looked at Gabriel with a smirk.

"If I'm Ora's Sister, and you're his son-?" I wondered aloud.

"I'm still his Brother," Gabriel said expressionlessly. I sighed, frowning.

"I wish you'd loosen up some, Gabriel. It's hard to find we're equal when you still treat me like nothing," I told him. He looked at me with curiosity and surprise in his eyes. Ora placed his hand on Gabriel's shoulder.

"You are so much like me," he told him, noticing the curiosity.

"Never, Father," Gabriel growled, his eyes flashing red. "I will never become what you were."

He stalked away, closing the marble doors behind him. Rosaline took my arm and led me to a set of doors.

"Come on, let's go before Gabriel comes back and sets the room on fire," she whispered. She led me into a poorly lit hallway that was decorated with torn rugs and rusting chandeliers with almost no candles.

"What happened that made Gabriel so upset?" I asked.

"Years ago, Ora did something he wasn't proud of. Even Gabriel isn't proud of his family's history. That room always makes him short tempered."

"Why?"

"Ora spent most of his life sitting in that room, killing and terrorizing, feeding and changing. His heart and mind were frozen completely in time. Then, one day, Ora was awakened by a woman who loved someone he took her from, and his mind and heart was freed. He learned the full power of his gifts. Ora never forgave himself for the sins he committed, or made others do under his command. When he had Gabriel, he hoped that his son would not become the cruel person Ora was. He trained Gabriel not to thirst so hungrily for power. He told him that no matter what sins were committed, everyone deserves a second chance. But if there is no choice, no chances may be given at all. That rule is what kept Ora alive when he told Gabriel about his past after Gabriel was an experienced fighter."

"Gabriel would have killed his own father-?"

"Gabriel thought his father was past any chances for forgiveness. But when he realized what his father taught him, he only left Ora with a scar on his throat."

"Thats-!"

"Don't judge Gabriel. He was horrified with what he'd done. I found him in the Earth Hallway crying and took him to my room to comfort him. Gabriel isn't a bad person, Noel."

"Do you like him?" I asked.

"No, not really. I grew up with him, and think of him as nothing more than a brother. I wouldn't be very surprised, though, if he suddenly asked for your heart in exchange for his."

I made a gagging sound and Rosaline laughed. Her laughter bounced off the walls. For a second I was afraid someone would hear our conversation. I shushed her. That made her laugh harder.

"You should see your face, Noel!" she said between giggles. "Nobody can hear us! The doors are soundproof."

I blushed, feeling stupid. We were reaching the end of the hall. The chandeliers had stopped, making the end of the hallway dark and gloomy.

"Noel? Can you give us a bit of light, please?" Rosaline asked.

"Huh? Oh, right."

I though about the sun and daylight. The hallway seemed to glow when a small white orb appeared and circled my head.

"Houston, we have a problem," Rosaline laughed at the satellite orb. "Lift it higher with your mind."

I concentrated and the orb lifted. It was like I had an invisible, third arm holding it up.

"Here's your room, Noel," Rosaline told me, opening the doors. "I have to go. There are some Air Beholders I need to keep under control in my room."

She left without another word. I looked at the large door and turned the knob. Inside, there were three beds, two of which looked like they'd actually been used. I approached the one that wasn't used and set down my bow and arrow.

"I see you're ready for the night," a voice startled me. I squeaked and turned sharply. Gabriel stood at the door, watching me with interest.

"Y-yes!" I stammered, blushing a deep red.

"Goodnight, roommate. Tomorrow, we start Training you."

Gabriel crossed the room and pulled the blanket away from the bed next to me, laying down.

"Goodnight," I whispered, but he was already asleep.

**_AN: Aw, Gabriel's the odd one out! :(_**


	7. Author's Note: I'm Sorry!

**_Author's Note: I'M SORRY!_**

**_I found that I spend so much time writing my Inuyasha fanfics and updating another fanfiction with Noel that I don't have time to update these anymore! I know it's unfair, but all my ongoing stories are going to be canceled. I'm sorry for those of you who looked forward to reading this. I'm just super busy with high school, moving, trying to update, staying updated with my sources (the books), and more or less breaking up with a boy I always considered to be more than a friend but a little bit less than a boyfriend. This is a good story idea though, and if anybody wants to take it over, by all means, go ahead. Send me a message telling me you are, though, because I'd like to see what you come up with._**

**_I'm sorry again,_**

**_mrsnessieblack_**


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